The Three Musketeers
by Kristen3
Summary: Set after 4.15/16, "The Gift." After Helen's first and last performance with the Nantucket String Quartet, old feelings return for her and Joe. Mostly fluffy one-shot. :)


"Helen, I'm really sorry Brian and I got you into this," Joe said as he took a seat on the stage beside her. Thanks to the deranged Winston Catlow, Helen's stint with the Nantucket String Quartet was over almost before it had begun.

Helen shrugged. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Pretty typical of my cello career."

Joe gave her a quick one-armed hug. "Don't say that. Just because this didn't work out doesn't mean something else won't."

"Even if it doesn't, I know now that I can't just quit music. It's in me, Joe. Just like you can't give up flying."

"Yeah, I know how that is," Joe said. "Brian and I just wanted to give you that cello because you've done so much for us."

Helen rolled her eyes. "Making you guys lunch is my _job_," she teased.

Joe laughed. "I didn't mean that. You were the one who convinced me to call Brian when I got that suitcase from Dad. After Carol...you know, I thought I'd never speak to my brother again. Now look where we are." He nodded toward his brother, who sat in his seat, his Walkman playing through his headphones. He was completely oblivious to their conversation.

"Well, Brian's my friend, too. I wanted us to be the Three Musketeers again." Helen smiled at the thousands of memories she had of playing with the Hackett brothers.

"Yeah, that was great. Back when we were kids, we didn't have a care in the world. No weirdness because you were a girl, or any of that. Just three kids, playing together." Despite what Joe was saying out loud, his mind was going in a completely different direction. He knew that he and Helen had attempted once to take their relationship beyond friendship. It hadn't worked. But things were different now, weren't they? There was only one way to find out. He slowly leaned forward.

"Joe, what are you doing?" Helen barely had time to whisper the question before their lips met. All those feelings she'd had when she was a little girl, wanting to marry Joe someday, came rushing back.

The kiss ended, and Joe was reluctant to pull back. "I know that was way out of line. We said that you and I were finished. But we're different people now. I'm not with Gail anymore, and you're free. Come on, Helen. I know you felt something just now, too."

Helen wanted to deny it. She had put all her feelings for Joe aside a long time ago. And yet, she couldn't quite walk away. Really, why should she? Her cello career was clearly heading nowhere. As far as she could tell, she'd likely be behind that lunch counter for another fifty years. Didn't she want something more out of life than that? She didn't know. Afraid to say the wrong thing, she simply stared at Joe as she bit her lip.

Joe gently placed his hand under her chin. "You aren't sure," he whispered. "You want to say yes, but you're afraid. Yes, this could be another disaster. But, Helen, if we both feel this way, don't we have to explore it?"

Tears began to form in her eyes. "I just don't want to make a mistake. You're my best friend."

"That's what makes this so great. Think about it. How many people can say that they _really_ like the person they're with? I mean, for God's sake, half the time Brian doesn't even know the woman's name! We _know_ each other, Helen!"

Finally, Helen could stand it no longer. This time, she leaned forward. They held nothing back, and the kisses lasted for several moments. When she finally had to stop, she looked into Joe's eyes. "If we're going to do this again, it has to be different. We have to be totally honest with each other."

"Agreed," Joe said, taking her hand.

Helen knew that she'd just taken a risk, especially light of their history. But Joe was right. If she were completely over him, she wouldn't have taken so long to answer. Joe had changed. And so had she. That had to mean something, right? "Come on, let's go home."

Joe helped her down off the stage. They walked over to where Brian sat, tapping him on the shoulder. "You ready to go home?" Joe asked

"Yeah. Helen, you played great tonight!"

"Oh, please, Brian. You didn't even hear me." She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Joe. I'll let you walk me home." She winked as she slipped her hand into his. They walked toward the door, not even noticing that Brian hadn't moved.

"Whoa," Brian said to himself as he watched them leave hand-in-hand. "I'm not sure what I missed here tonight, but I guess it was something big." He shook his head in disbelief. He would get all the details from Joe later. For now, what mattered was that all three of the Musketeers were happy.

**The End**


End file.
